In his 2021 video essay, “The Side of Scorsese We Don’t Talk About,” Thomas Flight reflects upon the notable lapsed Catholic director’s use of the fourth wall in his films, specifically within Scorsese’s 1991 remake of the classic thriller, Cape Fear. Max Cady, an obsessive criminal (Robert DeNiro), seeks revenge on attorney Sam Bowden in the film years after a crucial trial that sent Cady to jail for 14-years. Cady is just as obsessed with women as he is the Bible. He boasts of his supposed newfound Christianity, spitting out Bible quotes casually during conversation in order to show off his knowledge. Cady, in the climax, has tracked Bowden’s family to the boat they have retreated on to escape Cady. Cady, having temporarily defeated Bowden in the presence of his family and gloated directly to the camera, then proceeded to pretend to be an attorney at an impromptu trial. Looking up past the camera to the rainy sky he spoke to an invisible Judge – presumably God. Flight goes further and argues that Scorsese’s direction is a clever one, but Cady is asking the audience to judge his actions.
